Reversible propeller



Jan. 10, 1950 R. E. BELL REVERSIBLE PROPELLER Filed June 29, 1946 INVENTOR ROSS EARL BELL ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 10, 1950 UNITED i STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE Canad Application June 29, 1946, Serial No. 680,442 In Canada April 13, 1946 2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in reversible propellers.

The object of the present invention is to provide a propeller having a streamlined hub with a plurality of blades rockingly mounted upon its periphery, where the rocking of the blades is accomplished without having to resort to racks and pinions or any other moving parts within the cavity of the hub.

This invention consists of a hub body made of two parts, one of which fits telescopically into the other and a plurality of blades rockingly mounted in the periphery Of the one member and having pivotal engagement with the other member of said hub body.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention with the blades in neutral position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view indicating the various positions of the blades.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral l indicates a propeller shaft having a tapered end 2 upon which a hub or body 4 is secured. The body is composed of rearward and forward shell members 5 and 6 respectively,

the rearward member being fitted upon the tapered end 2 of the shaft l and secured in position with a conical cap nut 8.

The members 5 and 6 are jointly of tear drop form with the rearward member 5 being substantially conical and the forward member 6 being substantially semi-spherical. The forward rim 9 of the member 5 is telescopically mounted within the rim l i of the forward shell member 6.

The forward shell member 6 is provided with an integral hub collar l2 by which it is secured to a sleeve i3, which sleeve is slidably mounted upon the shaft 1 and is adapted to be journalled in bearings and be fitted with appropriate devices, not shown, for moving the sleeve along the shaft and. f or moving the rim 6 of the shell member 5 slidably within the rim ii of the shell member 6.

The rearward shell member 5 is provided with internal radially disposed hubs it in which the shanks 85 of the propeller blades i6 are rockingly mounted. Each propeller blade iii, of Which there may be two or more, has an inner ed e l8 conforming substantially to the circumference of the forward shell member 6 and also conforms substantially to the longitudinal contour of said member.

(Cl. I'm-160.47

an arm I9 having an inwardly directed crank pin 20 adjacent its free end which is adapted to ride in a slot 2| extending circumferentially of the shell member 6. The shell member 6 is provided also with longitudinally disposed slots 23 in which the shanks l5 of the blades l6 have sliding movement as the shell portion 5 is moved endwise relative to the portion 6. The shanks l5 engaging the sides of the slots 23, serve to prevent any relative rotational movement between the members 5 and 6. Obviously the contraction or elongation of the hub body 4 causes relative movement lengthwise of the vessel between the shanks l5 and the pins 20, thus changing the angle of the blade relative to the rim I l.

The device is fitted toa vessel in the usual way and the shaft 1 connected to the prime mover. When starting the prime mover, if an internal combustion engine is employed, the sleeve I3 is disposed with the blades l6 lying substantially in a plane transverse to the keel of the vessel, or as shown in solid lines in the various figures. To back the vessel away from its wharf, the sleeve I3 is moved forwardly to dispose the blades at an angular position, as indicated in dotted line as at S in Figure 3, and when it is desired to run ahead, the sleeve is moved rearwardly to dispose the blades in the position shown in dotted line as at F in Figure 3.

It will be obvious that the extent of movement of the sleeve l3 will regulate the pitch of the blades I6 and vary the speed of the vessel accordingly.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A reversible propeller comprising a hub body having a substantially semi-spherical forward and a substantially conical rearward shell member, one of said members being adapted for connection to a shaft and one of said shell members being provided with a sleeve to surround said shaft, said shell member being telescopically movable longitudinally with respect to the other shell member, a plurality of blades rockingly mounted in one of said members, each of said blades having an inner edge conforming substantially to the peripheral contour of the semispherical member, an arm extending from an edge of each blade, each arm having a crank pin, one of said shell members having a circumferential slot, said crank pins being adapted to ride in said slot and cause the blades to rock about their shanks in response to relative longitudinal movement between the members.

2. A reversible propeller comprising a hub body At one end of each of said blades is having a substantially semi-spherical forward member and a substantially conical rearward shell member, one of said members being adapted for connection to a shaft, a sleeve to surround the shaft, and the other of said members bein mounted upon said sleeve and adapted for telescopic movement relative to the first mentioned member, a plurality of propeller blades each having an .inner edge substantially monfonming 3:0 the peripheral contour of the forward member, an arm at one end of said edge and a shank projecting inwardly intermediate the length of saiifi inner edge, each shank being journalled-on .one of the shell members and each arm being connected to a part of the other shellmember where- REFERENCES CITED Eheiollowing Jeferences .are .of record in the file-10f this wtsnt:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date W381 Bray Feb. 11, 1896 878,022 Roper Feb. 4, 1908 

